Gasgoo Munich- Gasgoo has learned that Kepler Robotics has officially closed an A++ funding round worth 100 million yuan.
The round was led by SAIF Partners, with strategic participation from Nuoli Intelligent Equipment (603611) and Shenzhen Minbao Optoelectronics (301362). Capital will be channeled into three core areas:
Iterating on its VTLA force-tactile data acquisition solution to boost efficiency in industry-specific data collection and native model compatibility, while strengthening vertical generalization capabilities;
Building a global network for real-world industrial data acquisition to construct a dataset of 10 million high-quality industrial physical interactions, using real-world data to raise the ceiling of model capabilities;
Commercializing industrial data acquisition solutions by exporting industry-specific data and model capabilities, and partnering with industry players to build an embodied intelligence ecosystem.
Kepler also announced a major strategic upgrade, shifting its focus entirely to developing "embodied intelligence" brains and the core track of force-tactile data acquisition. The company is set to release China's first full-stack force-tactile solution natively adapted for VTLA all-perception models. By leveraging real-world data to break through intelligence bottlenecks via vertical generalization, Kepler aims to propel industrial humanoid robots beyond hardware deployment into a new stage of fully perceptive intelligent evolution.
Image Credit: Kepler Robotics
Focusing on the full-stack R&D of industrial-grade humanoid robots, Kepler has built deep technical moats in core areas such as planetary roller screw actuators, high-power-density drives, and whole-body dynamics control. Its robot products have already achieved stable verification and deployment in real-world scenarios, including industrial manufacturing, logistics, and high-altitude operations.
Building on this foundation, Kepler has decided to upgrade its strategic focus to these two core tracks—data and models—as they become increasingly critical to advancing robot intelligence while the industry enters a more complex phase.
Kepler's upcoming full-stack force-tactile solution comprises two core components: a native all-perception force-tactile acquisition system and the KEPLER VTLA all-perception model. The key breakthrough lies in acquisition technology centered on force-feedback exoskeletons and tactile-feedback gloves. When combined with multimodal large model fusion, this technology establishes a truly all-perception intelligent robotic system.
During actual operations, tactile and force feedback permeate the entire contact process, continuously outputting key data such as pressure, friction, and force direction. This supports fine manipulation and complex interactions that closely mirror human capabilities. Human operators can adjust movements based on real-time tactile data, enabling the robot to execute, correct, and feel simultaneously—achieving true contact-level intelligence.
The solution has completed proof-of-concept (POC) verification in real-world factories across the automotive, 3C electronics, and smart logistics sectors. In typical tasks like precision assembly and multi-material grasping, its performance far exceeds that of traditional VLA models. Notably, on a precision assembly line at an automotive plant, the system completed 1,000 consecutive assembly operations with a 98% success rate, boosting overall production capacity by 30%.
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Gasgoo’s "Seeds" column aims to build a service platform connecting startups, ecosystem partners, investors, and local governments to empower the automotive supply chain. Since its launch, the column has sought to identify promising companies, technologies, and business models driving the intelligent transformation. According to Gasgoo, nearly all startups featured in "Seeds" have successfully connected with resources across the industrial ecosystem.
